Immunology

Cutting-edge procedures to help mankind

Developing more targeted drugs to fight all kinds of pathologies, designing efficient immunotherapies, creating consumer goods to fight diabetes… these are just some of the main fields of research which are attempting to respond to critical health and societal issues. With the presence of leading research institutes, a burgeoning life sciences industry, and start-ups focusing on the use of innovative technologies, the canton of Vaud is actively committed to this endeavor.

The immune system protects the body by eliminating pathogens and diseased cells. When a dysfunction occurs, serious illnesses can break out. Auto-immune diseases are those where the immune system turns against the organism that it is meant to protect (multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid polyarthritis, Crohn’s disease, and diabetes are among the 50 or so documented pathologies of this kind).

A critical aspect in the research into immunology is the development and production of a new type of drug called "biopharmaceuticals." The aim here is to develop antibodies to modify a biological mechanism to the body’s advantage, enabling it to act more effectively than a conventional drug against a pathology or a dysfunction.

These new remedies are the result of leading technology from the fields of molecular engineering and biology. In the canton of Vaud, specialist companies cover the vast field that is immunology, with a focus which includes innovation in vaccines, antibodies, cell therapies, and immune modulators. Leading companies include Novigenix, Lunaphore, ADC Therapeutics, AC Immune, Anergis, and Mimetics.